Wheel



H. M. HOWELL Sept. 8, 192-5.

WHEEL '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed y 1922 IN VEN TOR f/snrr/l H Illllllll A TTORNE YS Sept. 8, 1925'. 1,552,743

I H. M. HOWELL WHEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed y i922 lNl/ENTUR HenI'y Q WITNESS A TTORNEYS Fatented Sept. 8, 1 925. V

were PATENT orrics.

HENRY M. HOWELL, OF MONRORJLOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN EDWARD DOUGHTIE, F MONROE, LOUISIANA.

VJ HEEL.

Original application filed July 3, 1922. Serial No. 572,497. Divided and this application filed March as, 1923.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY MARTIN HownLL, a citiZenof theUnited States, and

a resident of Monroe, in the parish of Uuachita and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in wheels of the type embodying a demountable rim and is a division of my application for patent for wheels, filed July 3, 1922, Serial No. 572,497.

The objectof the invention is to provide a wheel of this character wherein the demountable rim may be readily and easily taken from or placed upon the wheel by persons of ordinary skill or strength and without the necessity of the expenditure of tiresome and disagreeable effort or without the employment of special tools, the organization being at the same time of such a nature as to provide fora firm and rigid mount-ing of the rim in assembly and a secure and durable though readily releasable locking thereof. 7

A further object is to provide a device of this character and having the foregoing ad vantages and which is also of simple and durable construction, reliable and eflicient in operation, attractive and ornamental in ap pearance and adapted to be manufactured at a comparatively slight expense from material and by means of facilities ordinarily available.

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in certain novel features of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in elevation, showing a portion of the wheel equipped with a demountable rim embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same;

Figure 3 1s a fragmentary perspective view, showing the operating parts of the wheel structure and demountable rim structure F g 4 is g oup view in p pective,

Serial No. 628,373.

illustrating the locking bar and associated structure Figure 5 is a view, showing the locking bar in plan and in assembly, the wheel structure and demountable rim structure as well as the ferrule for the locking bar being broken away and shown in horizontal section; and

Figure 6 is a detail view in section, illustrating the removable outer tire retaining flange and the locking studs carried thereby.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a wheel which may beof any conventional type. 'As shown in Figure 2 the Wheel includes a felly 11 upon which a felly band or fixed rim 12 is shrunk or otherwise suitably secured, the felly band having a circumferential shoulder 13 constituting a seat or abutment for the demountable rim and having an integral locking plate 14 at its outer circumferential edge, the integral locking plate depending from the felly band and being disposed flush up against the outer lateral face of the felly 11. The felly 11 is slightly reduced in width so that the thickness of the locking plate complements the' width or thickness of the felly to provide the complete felly ofstandard dimensions.

A demountable rim, designated generally 35 at 15, is provided and includes a base section 16, the inner tire retaining flange 1'? and an outer removable tire retaining flange 18. The base section 16 of the demountable rim is provided at its outer circumferential edge with-an integral depending locking plate 19 adapted to lie flush up against the locking plate 14 in assemblyand the outer retaining flange 18 also includes an integral locking plate 20 adapted to lie flush up against the looking plate 19 in the assembly. The looking plate 20 carries a plurality, preferably fourlong studs and av plurality, preferably four short studs, the studs being designated at 21 and 22, respectively, and being threaded, welded or otherwise suitably secured to the plate 20 and being provided with heads of suitable formation. The long studs 21 coact with key-hole slots 23 provided in the plate 14, the plate 19 being provided with 105 slots 24 admitting of the passage of the studs 21 into the slots The short studs 2 co p ate with y hole slots 2 pr de in the locking plate 19, the heads of the studs being accommodated in slots 26 provided for such purpose in the locking plate 1-4. By this arrangement the outer retaining flange 18 may be securely locked to the other elements of the demountable rim and the demountable rim as a whole may be locked on the wheel, this locking action however being entirely complete and secure as against all except circumferential movement in one direction.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the provision of novel means for releasably though securely locking these parts against circumferential movement in either direction. This means is shown in assembly in Figures 2 and 5 and in detail in Figure. 4, and comprises a tapered or wedge shaped or tapering locking bar 30 adapted to have its small end slipped into the large end of a correspondingly shaped ferrule 31 embedded in an opening formed therefor in the felly and secured in position by cars 82. The locking bar is snugly fitted in the ferrule in locking position and ti e small end thereof projects beyond the small end of the ferrule and is snugly fitted in openings 14, 19 and 20 provided therefor in the plates 14, 19 and 20, respectively. The locking bar thus presents a substantial metallic cross section as opposing circumferential n'iovement of the parts hereinabove described and thus provides a firm, strong and durable lock which is not liable to become distorted or weakened by long continued use. At the same time the locking bar may be readily taken from locking position by merely releasing or unthreading the nut which coacts with the bolt 36 and a plate 37 for preventing endwise displacement of the block toward the left as viewed in Figure 5, the nut being threaded on the bolt and engaging the plate 37 which spans the opening 20 in the plate 20 and the head of the bolt 36 being embedded or countersunk in the bar 30 with the shank of the bolt ex:- tending axially through the bar, as shown in Figure 5.

The locking plate is preferably somewhat enlarged or made heavy around the opening 20 as Well as at points thereon to which the studs both long and short are connected. The felly 11, and its felly band 12 are each provided with an L-shaped slot to accommo date the valve stem in the usual manner, this L-shaped slot being designated at a l). The base section of the demountable rim is provided with an opening 42, through which the valve stem of the inner tube extends.

In this manner there is provided a de mountable rim which entirely obviates t1 e necessity of pinching the tire over the retaining flanges, the changing the tires being thus greatly facilitated. Also a spare tire all ready pumped up and otherwise complete and ready for service may be conveniently placed on the wheel. lVhile having these advantages the wheel and rim is at the. same time of strong and durable construction, reliable in operljion, attractive in appearance and easy and cont paratively inexpensive to manufacture.

I claim:

In combination, a Wheel including a felly having a transverse wedge-shaped opening therethrough and a fixed rim thereon, said rim having a depending locking plate having a transverse opening therethrough in register with the small end of the aforesaid felly opening, a demountable rim adapted to be mounted on said fixed rim, locking means for securing the deinountahle rini against all except circumferential movement, and means for holding the demountahle rim against circumferential movement, said last named means including a wedge-shaped ferrule seated in the felly opening and secured to the telly, a Wedge-shaped locking haifitting and extending through said ferrule, and means for holding the locking bar against displacement and comprising a bolt having one end threaded and ext-ended through the locking bar and its head seated in the large end of the locking bar, said threaded end projecting beyond the small end of the locking bar, and a plate and nut coacting with said threaded end of the bolt.

HENRY M. I-IOWVELL. 

